


The Words of My Soulmate

by H0siesEndgame



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bisexual, Confessions, Cute, F/F, Feelings, Friends to Lovers, Hope and Josie are clearly in love with each other and are too scared to say anything, Hope and birdboy was never a thing, Love Confessions, Magic, No Malivore, Pansexual, Romantic Soulmates, Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted (Vampire Diaries), Soulmates, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, a hint of Mizzie, fight me, giving the gays what they want let's be honest, hosie is endgame, i don't make the rules, oblivious gays, romantic, tribrid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28117272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H0siesEndgame/pseuds/H0siesEndgame
Summary: Hope's already had her sixteenth birthday. She knows who her soulmate is, thanks to the words that appeared on her wrist. And now it's Josie's birthday. So what will she think when she realizes who her soulmate is?orA universe where, on a supernatural's 16th birthday, the next words that their soulmate will say to them appears on their wrist.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 46
Kudos: 375





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on here. I hope you all like it!
> 
> This doesn't follow the show's storyline at all, meaning no Malivore and no Handon (thank god)
> 
> The character's internal thoughts will be in italics.

For a young supernatural, the next words your soulmate would say to you would appear on your wrist, on the morning of your sixteenth birthday. And then, you'd know who your true love is. For some, it was a sign of relief, that the person they were in a relationship with was who they were meant to be with. For others, it tore their heart to pieces, because they were destined to be with someone who didn't love them back. And some, not many but some, didn't see any words appear at all.

Every child would look forward to the day, to that very special birthday. They would wait patiently to hear those words. All of them would wonder if it was someone they'd never met, or if it was someone who had been right in front of them their whole life. Each teenager would do what they could to make the interaction perfect.

And for Hope, she felt her heart break on her sixteenth. 

She felt like she knew who it was before the words even showed up. That didn't mean she wanted it to be them. She prayed that she would be wrong and that her soulmate would be anyone other than who she expected. Landon, Rafael, literally anyone. She would've taken anyone because it would be easier if it wasn't her. Maybe her strong feelings would shift, and she'd end up liking someone else. 

The problem was that she couldn't get that person out of her head. No matter what Hope tried, Josie was all she could think about. Having a handful of their classes together only made it worse for the Mikaelson. In most of them, Hope sat right by Josie, or very close. Meaning whenever she was trying to do work, Josie's hair, or her smile, or her scent would catch her attention. A single look from Josie and Hope would forget how to breathe. 

Josie was the first thing Hope thought about when she woke up on her sixteenth, just like every other day. She felt her skin tingle, and she knew her soulmate's next words had appeared. She sighed and kept repeating the same thing to herself, over and over.

 _Please don't be her. Please don't be her._

And it was her. And Hope hated it. She hated it because the girl she loved would never love her back, not in that way. Her heart belonged to someone who didn't even realize they had it. So, Hope had to face the inevitable truth, that although Josie Saltzman was her soulmate, she wasn't Josie's. 

But that was okay. She could live with that, as long as she still had Josie. As long as Josie still wanted to be her friend, she didn't care. 

_Having her as just a friend is better than not having her at all._

She couldn't let Josie believe that something was off with her. Josie had to believe that everything was normal between them.

The thought alone of losing Josie due to her feelings was enough to make Hope keep it a secret. She promised herself that she would never speak a word of it, not to anyone. Not that she had spoken of her feelings for Josie to anyone before her sixteenth, but this meant she never would. This was her confirmation that she was destined for a future alone. She was destined to an eternity of being in love with her best friend.

The day of, and the day after, plenty of people asked Hope if there were words on her wrist. To which, Hope said no. She acted as if she didn't have a soulmate. She did, not that anybody else needed to know that. Especially not Josie. Hope hated lying to her, pretending that she was meant to be alone forever. Perhaps she was, destined for a future without someone to live it with, and it couldn't have been made more clear when she saw the three words on her skin. The second Hope saw them, she didn't even need to speak to the person to know who it was. She knew she had been right all along. The sentence included a nickname, a nickname that only one person had ever called her. Only one person she would ever allow to say it. It read:

**_Happy birthday, Hopey_**

Josie had been calling her by that since they were twelve, not long after they first became friends. And each time Josie said it, it reminded Hope that she had someone who cared for her. Even if it wasn't how she would have liked, Josie still cared for her. 

A few weeks after Hope's birthday, Josie got with a girl from one of their classes, and Hope had to sit back and pretend like it didn't bother her. She was happy for her, but she couldn't help wishing that she was that girl. She would have to watch when the girl, Riley, hugged Josie, kissed her, or simply held her hand. She would have to smile and nod when Josie told her all about the dates they went on. Hope couldn't deny it, the girl was pretty. She was kind, so Hope could understand why Josie liked her. That didn't make it any easier on her though. It still pained her, another reminder that Josie didn't feel the same way about her. 

When they broke up two months later, Hope felt relieved that she wouldn't have to watch it anymore. Of course, she was devastated for her best friend, even though Josie was the one who ended it. The brunette wasn't willing to share the details of the breakup, and Hope respected that as any friend would. She held Josie when she cried, when she felt guilty for hurting her ex. Josie made sure that Hope knew how grateful she was to have her. She told Hope how great of a friend she was, and how she couldn't live without her.

It came to Josie's sixteenth birthday, and Hope looked forward to giving her best friend her present. She planned on giving it to her nearer the end of the day. She had long since accepted that her soulmate didn't reciprocate the feelings, and she was ready to find out who Josie's soulmate was. The twins had scheduled a joint birthday party, though like every other year, Lizzie would probably be in the spotlight for most of it. This was why Hope made sure that she would get Josie's day off to a good start. She woke up extra early to bake Josie her favorite cookies. They were baked to perfection. And with the help of some magic, she got the plate to Josie's bedside table without a sound. Next to the tray of goods, she left a short note for the brunette to read after waking up.

It was still early, and Hope had plenty of time before classes. She decided to get some extra training in, whilst she waited for Josie to get up.

~~~~

Josie woke suddenly, to her sister shaking her. She had jumped next to Josie on the bed, unable to contain her excitement. Lizzie had acted that way every birthday, maybe more so on their sixteenth. Lizzie had been thinking and dreaming of that birthday since she was nine, and she had been picturing her soulmate for even longer,

"Happy sweet sixteen!" Lizzie smiled widely, and Josie still had her eyes closed. She rubbed at them, waiting for her vision to focus. 

"Happy birthday, Liz." Her voice was slightly husky and rough sounding, yet clear enough to understand what she had said. Her eyes met her twin, and she couldn't help but return the bright smile. The blonde displayed visible joy. Then, Lizzie's eyebrows got closer together and her head tilted in confusion.

"Who the hell is that from?" She wondered out loud. Josie followed Lizzie's gaze and caught sight of a plate of cookies and a small note with **'Josie ❤'** written on the front. She recognized the writing in seconds and blushed heavily. She picked it up and opened it, nibbling on a cookie at the same time.

**It's your special day! Happy birthday, Jos. I'm gonna make sure you know how much you mean to me, and this starts with your favorite cookies that I left you. Baked them just how you like them, gooey on the inside. You'll get your presents later. Can't wait to see you :)**

**All my love,  
Hope**

Her smile grew impossibly wider. She was wide awake then, and her eyes lit up.

"Hope." She answered Lizzie, after what had seemed like ages.

They began getting ready for the day, both of them making extra effort to look good. Lizzie made sure to say why she was taking more time than usual and kept taking glances in the mirror.

"For all I know my soulmate could be right outside that door. I already know what he is going to say, so I have to be ready." She continued to brush through her hair. That reminded Josie, that she too might have words on her wrist. Somehow, even whilst she was changing, she hadn't seemed to notice it, because she was too distracted by Hope's surprise. Yes, it was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to her.

Beforehand, Josie had been hoping for a certain word to show on her wrist that would determine who it was quicker. She hoped that it would be phrased a particular way to allow her to guess who it was. Except, when she saw it, it was very generic. It could be anyone. For all she knew, it could have been a total stranger.

**_Guess you're stuck with me, then_ **

The sentence gave her no hints on who her soulmate was. Lizzie tried looking at it, but Josie refused to let her see it. She wanted to have it to herself, at least until she heard her soulmate say those words.

Unfortunately for Josie, Hope wasn't at the usual breakfast table. That didn't stop MG, Rafael, Kaleb, and all the others from wishing the twins a happy birthday. Both of them thanked their friends - Lizzie also reminded them all of her and her sister's birthday party, which would take place later that night. She made sure everyone knew they were invited. Conversations took place, and Josie didn't bother joining them. She kept searching the hall for an auburn-haired girl.

She couldn't help but wonder who would be her soulmate. Well, she prayed it would be anyone other than Hope. Having feelings for someone who didn't return them, made the whole soulmate situation sort of...complicated, to say the least. It made her nervous. Pining after the tribrid for years had become exhausting, and very incredibly painful because it was clear to her that her feelings were one-sided. It was hard. So much so, that she tried getting into relationships, thinking maybe her feelings for the girl would go away. They never did, and they had set roots within Josie, deep within her heart. And maybe it was wrong, to be with someone else when her heart and mind were with a different person entirely, but she wanted to be happy. She genuinely thought it could work, and when it didn't prove to be the distraction she wanted, she broke up with the person. First Penelope, then Riley. In both relationships, her feelings for that person never once grew stronger than her feelings for Hope, so she ended it. 

The bell rang, ultimately pulling Josie from her thoughts. The dining hall emptied and filled the corridors. Students rushed to their first class of the day. Josie made her way to History of Magic, avoiding every other person she saw, and Lizzie walked with her. Josie hugged her books close to her chest. They got to the class a minute late, thanks to the busy corridors, but not late enough for Emma to ask them what took so long. The room was already half full, and Josie finally saw the girl she had been searching for all morning. Her heart warmed when Hope gave her the biggest smile, and Josie took her seat to the left of her friend. She pulled everything that she needed out of her bag, then switched her focus to Emma, who was stood at the front.

"Morning everyone." She greeted. "As promised, I'm going to be giving you all your assigned topics for the essay task, which will be done in pairs." Emma waved her hand, and suddenly each student had a piece of paper on their desk. "On there you'll find everything you need to know." Josie picked her paper up.

**Partner: Hope Mikaelson  
Topic: How vampires came to be, and how they developed as a species over the years**

An easy topic, really, is what Josie thought. Considering her partner was the child of an original vampire, she figured it wouldn't take long for them to write the paper. Hope probably knew it all already. And if she didn't, her family did.

"You'll all have two weeks to complete the task. You may use any form of research that you please, whether that be seeking out books from the library or asking others who may know something about your topic." Emma explained as she looked at each teenager in her class. The faces of some of them showed some anger, likely at the partner they were given. "Find your partner and begin discussing your topic." 

The room erupted with noise. Everyone moved around until they were seated next to their partner. Josie looked over at hers, with her own smile when she saw Hope smirking.

"Guess you're stuck with me then," Hope said, chuckling after. Josie could have sworn she stopped breathing. Her eyes widened and she stared at Hope.

_Oh crap._


	2. Chapter 2

To say Josie was shocked, would be a major understatement. She had to bit her lip to stop her jaw from visibly dropping. 

Hope. Hope freaking Mikaelson was her soulmate. And honestly, she had no clue on how she should handle that information. Her best friend was the one that her soul was connected with. Her deep feelings went deeper than she thought, or could even comprehend. Hope was her soulmate. And Josie was staring at her, words unable to leave her mouth. 

"Josie? Jos? You okay?" Hope asked, snapping Josie back into reality. She blinked hard, trying to focus.

"Fine. Just...thinking. Doesn't matter." She responded, looking away from Hope to hide her blush. She wasn't sure it helped, but she pushed her hair to hide her cheeks anyway. The burning sensation was one of embarrassment, for saying nothing, and because Hope was her freaking soulmate. That was something she would never get over. Not ever. Sadness hit her, she was one of the rare cases where the soulmate bond didn't go both ways. She made the mistake of glancing at Hope again, and her heart was gone at that point. Hope looked beautiful like always. But there was something about that moment, and maybe it was the way that the light hit her face just right to make it glow, or maybe it was Josie's sudden realization, as she swore Hope had never looked so painfully perfect. 

Ever since Josie was a little girl, she had always assumed her soulmate would like her back. Of course, she also assumed it would be a guy, but that was before she learned a few things about herself. And she imagined the most handsome man wrapping her in his strong arms. He would be her knight in shining armor, like in every movie ever, where the guy saves the girl and they fall in love. Then, she got older and understood that love wasn't about gender, but it was about the person. And when she was twelve, she finally understood what it meant. She knew what it felt like to be in love. To have her heart ache for someone. That someone just so happened to be a girl, and that was okay. It also happened to be her best friend, and that was a little more complicated. She only wondered how she hadn't seen the signs earlier.

"I was just wishing you a happy birthday." Hope pulled Josie out of her thoughts again. The tribrid had a confused pout and also a concerned glint in her eyes. She could tell something was up with Josie. After being her friend for so long, she could read her like a book. Whatever her face displayed, Hope knew what it meant. And that worked both ways. Sometimes, it shocked others how well the two friends knew each other. Lizzie had experienced it many times, MG too. They had watched the friends as they had some sort of silent conversation. No words, and yet they knew exactly what the other was saying. It was odd...how close they were. It was even odder to some that they weren't any closer than they said.

"Oh. Thanks." Josie smiled. "So, I assume you know a lot about the topic already?" She tried to change the direction the conversation was heading in because she could sense that Hope was getting worried. Thankfully, it worked. They spent the rest of the lesson talking about their topic, with Hope giving a summary of how vampires came to be, and Josie loved Hope's enthusiasm. It would be hard to miss the partial frown she had, thinking of her father. She never spoke of her family often, and Josie was grateful that whenever Hope did, that she got to see it. They made notes, discussing further plans for their assignment, including times that they would meet at the library, or meet in one of their rooms. Hope even offered to set up a meeting with her Aunt Rebekah, to get the perspective of someone who was there when it happened.

The rest of the day, Josie tried to act normal around Hope, her crush who was now confirmed to ber soulmate. She sat with her as per usual at dinner, and they talked like nothing was wrong. Except, Josie froze when Hope asked if she had found out who her soulmate was. She played it off as if she had no clue, not wanting to ruin the friendship they shared. A friendship that was so great, and Josie knew it would be hard to pretend like she wasn't destined to be with Hope. It was hard enough to keep her secret before, and it would only be ten times more challenging now.

When the bell to signal the end of the last class of the day rang throughout the building, Hope turned to the twins with a wide smile.

"Lizzie, I need to borrow your sister." Before anyone could protest, Hope grabbed Josie's wrist and dragged her to her room. She heard the sounds of Lizzie yelling at them get quieter as they moved further away. Something about needing Josie back soon so they could get ready for the party on time. Hope swiftly opened the door with some magic and she rushed to her desk drawer, leaving a clueless Josie standing by the door. There was a nervous bounce in Hope's step, as she pulled out a perfectly wrapped gift, along with an envelope. As her heart pumped at an unusually fast rate, she turned to face her friend and held the two items out to her.

"Hope you like it." The envelope was a plain white color, with Josie's name in perfect writing. The gift was a bit was in a small box, which had a layer of wrapping paper. Josie carefully took the things from Hope, scared it would fall and break somehow. As she did, she felt her pinky brush against the back of Hope's hand and a wave of electricity coursed throughout her body. Feeling a blush forming - which happened a lot around Hope, too many times to count - Josie sat down on the bed.

Hope took a deep breath, then sat beside Josie. She made sure to leave a decent space between them. The last thing she'd want to do is make Josie uncomfortable. Hell, if she ever did she would never forgive herself. Perhaps she was stressing too much, overthinking things. They had cuddled enough times before, or been closer than they were in that moment, but still, Hope refused to take any chances.

She watched as Josie looked at the gifts, and she kept panicking. Her mind was a racing track for thoughts, lots and lots of them. 

_What if she doesn't like it?_

_What if it's not enough?_

_What if she's disappointed?_

Oh god. Hope couldn't take a look of disappointment from Josie. That would break her. 

Josie was ready to open the gift. She already knew she'd love it because it was from Hope. And Hope could never do anything wrong in her eyes. She spent a good ten seconds admiring how well it was wrapped, and the cute pandas that were dotted over the paper. She opted to go for the envelope first, and inside found a pretty card. It was easy to tell Hope had drawn the picture on the front herself. Josie loved that Hope had spent so much time crafting it, that she had spent so much time on her. Above the illustration, was a sentence in fancy writing - true Mikaelson style really. 

' **Happy birthday to my favourite person** '. 

Josie hadn't even opened the card, nor the actual present and she was already grinning like an idiot. She gave Hope a side hug, whilst leaning her head on the older girl's shoulder.

**To Josie,**

**Happy 16th! Have the best day.  
Thanks for being the most amazing friend a girl could ask for.  
I don't know what I'd do without you.  
I hope you celebrate well at your party.**

**From,  
Hope**

She mumbled a thank you and proceeded to unwrap the gift carefully. It revealed a black box, which had a layer of black velvet on the outside. And she opened the box, discovering a necklace on a silver chain.

"It's a talisman. I put magic in it, if you ever find yourself in need of some. Should be enough to last you months. I could top it up now and then, if you need me to." Hope felt her words flowing too quick, so she paused to take a deep breath. Josie lifted her head to watch her friend as she continued speaking. "It umm...also has a charm on it that helps make quiet things heard, because I can see it in your eyes, that you have so much to say but are holding back in fear of what others might think. You let yourself get pushed into the shadows if it means someone else is happy. And I admire that about you, that you care about others so deeply, but sometimes...it's okay to look out for yourself. So, I thought this charm could give you the confidence boost to say what you have to say." Hope rubbed the back of her neck, nervous from her rambling. She felt that wash away when Josie grabbed her hand and blue eyes met brown ones. Josie's had some tears in them. 

"This is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me. I love it!" She let out a watery laugh. "Thank you." This time, she gave Hope a proper hug. Her arms wrapped around the girl's back. And she cherished the feeling of holding her, of being so close to her. Hope's tension disappeared when Josie's chin pressed to her left shoulder, and Hope returned the gesture. She rubbed her hands up and down Josie's back, in a soothing motion.

Regrettably, Josie pulled back, and she instantly noticed the absence of Hope's touch. It left a cold feeling along her skin. Enough to leave goosebumps. "I should probably get going, otherwise Lizzie might actually kill both of us." She went to the door. Hope followed her. 

"I'll be waiting for you." Hope smiled, dreaming of the second she sees Josie at the top of the staircase. She imagined what the siphoner would wear. In her eyes, Josie didn't have to try hard to be the most gorgeous human to walk the earth. She already was, she didn't need makeup or a fancy dress to prove that.

Josie nodded at Hope. The tribrid watched her walking away, and she mumbled and "always", knowing damn well she would wait for Josie forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Did you like it? I'm thinking of making one final chapter, which will include the actual birthday party. Let me know if you guys would want to see that! And please point out mistakes. I read over it a dozen times, but I could have missed something.
> 
> I also have a few more oneshot ideas planned. So that's something to look forward to :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final part of this story! Hope this gives you all the ending you want.

Hope wasn't usually one for parties or public events. In fact, she would much rather be shifting in the woods or reading a painting in her room. Being in a crowd was a nightmare situation for her. Except, if Josie was there, it was completely different. Hope would do anything if Josie asked, going to a party included. If Josie was happy, Hope was happy. Even though Josie made her nervous, and occasionally made her mind forget the English language, she also gave her the confidence to do anything, such as overcome her fears. She grounded Hope in a way that nobody else could. 

Hope searched her closet. She had to find the perfect thing to wear. Hiding behind her school uniform were all the dresses her Aunt Rebekah had bought for her. She looked at each one until she the perfect dress showed up.

Josie walked back to her room with a smile so wide her cheeks hurt. She happily carried her presents into her room, humming along to a song. One of her favorites to be precise, that reminded her of her best friend. She was too busy thinking about Hope and getting to see her at the party, that she didn't notice her sister glaring at her. Lizzie tilted her head, and Josie still hadn't seen her. So, she made sure that Josie remembered they still shared a room.

"What's gotten you so happy? Did you finally work out who your soulmate is?" Josie stopped moving and looked at Lizzie with a frown. She could hardly tell her the truth because as much as she loved Lizzie, the girl couldn't keep her mouth shut no matter how hard she tried. If Lizzie found out, it would take less than a day for the whole school to know, and more importantly for Hope to know. That couldn't happen.

"No." She lied, and apparently, she didn't lie very well. The blonde twin scoffed, crossed her arms, then walked closer to Josie.

"You're a terrible liar," Lizzie added. Josie felt her heart quicken and her palms became sweaty. if Lizzie knew she was lying, maybe she had figured out who it was.

_Oh god. What if she knows it's Hope?_

"Fine. You caught me, but there is no way I'm telling you who it is." Josie moved over to her desk and put the card up on display. Then, she got her outfit out of the closet, laying it out carefully on the bed, and put the talisman on top. She thought it would match her dress well. 

"Don't need you to tell me. I can work it out for myself. Okay...so you don't want me to know who it is, making me think it's someone we already know and you're scared I'll tell them." Lizzie walked back and forth, passing Jossie each way. Josie remained still, unsure of what to do. "And, the only other time you've acted like this is when you had a crush on Hope and thought I didn't know..." Lizzie's brows raised, and she stared at Josie with wide eyes. Josie's face didn't do much to help her deny it.

_She knows._

"Hope is your soulmate?" Lizzie said, a little too loud for Josie's liking. Josie's cheeks went bright red, and she failed to form words. "This makes so much sense. Have you told her?" Lizzie already knew the answer to this. It was going to be no. If Josie had told Hope, then the two would be girlfriend's by now, Lizzie was sure of it. She had seen the way that the girls looked at each other, with longing glares and heart eyes. She didn't need to see all the soulmate stuff to know that they liked each other as more than friends.

 _These blind idiots_ , Lizzie thought.

"Of course I haven't! I don't want to go through that kind of heartbreak." She collected items around her room to have a quick shower. "If I tell her, then I'll lose her forever." Josie hated thinking of a future without Hope. If Hope was only ever going to be her friend, she could be okay with that. If she had to keep the whole soulmate thing a secret, she could be okay with that...probably.

"And if you don't tell her, then you'll be so paranoid about keeping it a secret, that you'll end up causing more harm than good. You hate keeping secrets from someone, it eats you up. Besides, you may be surprised by her answer." Lizzie explained. And Josie listened. What Lizzie said was true, she hated keeping secrets, and she wasn't good at keeping them either. Lizzie walked over to her own clothes, leaving Josie to think about what she said. Over and over. She showered, Lizzie's words echoed through her mind. And she felt guilty, suddenly so very guilty. Her best friend was meant to be the person she could talk to about anything. And Hope had made it clear that she would be there for Josie no matter what, so would this really change things? Perhaps, it could make their bond stronger, because in some sense, whether that be purely platonic, they were destined to be with one another. 

Josie dried herself off, debating if she should tell Hope. The twins did each other's hair, with Lizzie giving Josie some simple curls. Lizzie went on about how MG was her date, and Josie smiled as Lizzie spoke of her soulmate. They both changed, and just before leaving Josie stood in front of the mirror to put on the talisman. Suddenly, she felt more confident in telling Hope the truth. It didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. It felt like her odds of rejection had shrunk. 

They reached the top of the stairs, and Lizzie was called down by the DJ first. Lizzie waved at her friends who were all looking up at her. Josie inhaled sharply, the spotlight was about to be on her. When she followed Lizzie with her eyes, she saw Hope by the bottom step, waiting for her just like she said she would. Josie walked down when the Dj said: "And the other birthday girl, Josie Saltzman!" 

There could have been clapping, there could have been cheering. Anything could have been happening around her, but all Josie cared about was Hope. All she saw was Hope, in her amazing dress. She felt the world moving in slow motion, as she got closer and closer to the auburn-haired girl. Josie felt the butterflies in her stomach, as Hope looked back at her with a smirk. The girl left Josie feeling like she couldn't breathe. She just looked so god damn good. 

_That's definitely her colour._

Hope put out her arm, and Josie hooked hers around it. The two of them walked over to the drinks table and got what they wanted. People were dancing, people were getting food and drink, people were making out. Josie was awkwardly sipping her lemonade next to Hope, as she questioned how to bring it up. She didn't want to do it in the middle of the party, mainly because it was too loud. Hope did have superhearing, but so did plenty of other students. And if Josie was going to tell Hope, she wanted to tell her in the right way. She wanted to do it privately, so Hope had the freedom to react naturally, without being influenced or feeling pressured by the crowd. 

"You look beautiful, by the way." Hope had a habit of bringing Josie back to reality recently. Funny enough, each time it happened Josie had been thinking about Hope. And she was thinking about her then. About how her blue eyes glowed in the lighting of the great hall. About how the two small strands of hair that flowed on either side of her face made her look adorable. About how her lipstick made her lips seem softer, far more kissable. Then she realized, it had happened again. She was too busy thinking about Hope and staring at her that she hadn't responded to Hope's compliment. She was grateful the lighting wasn't brighter because if it had been Hope would have seen the colored tint on her cheeks. 

"So do you." She finally answered, confidently. They talked for a while, and Hope had to get closer so Josie could hear her over the music. Josie could only hope the music was loud enough to mask her erratic heartbeat. A slower song came on, and everyone began to couple up. Many of them, probably taking the hand of their soulmate. 

"May I have this dance?" Hope offered her own hand to the brunette. Josie accepted, feeling their hands fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. When they got to the dance floor, Hope put her hands around Josie's waist, and Josie put hers around Hope's neck. They swayed from side to side. The siphon was close enough to Hope to feel her breath on her skin. She was close enough to steal a kiss. As they moved left to right, their eyes locked together. And at that moment, there was nobody else around. Only them. The whole world disappeared. All they could think about was how incredible the other looked, and how lucky they were to have each other. Both of them fought their inner urge to lean forward and kiss their dance partner. 

The song was fading out, but neither of them changed their position. They wanted to cherish the moment, hold on to it for that little bit longer. As everyone else picked up the pace of their dancing to match the rhythm of the next song, Josie leaned into Hope's ear, asking to talk in private. 

Feeling Josie's words against her ear sent with a cold breeze, Hope's mind went into overdrive. A shiver made its way down her spine, and she struggled to stop her feelings from displaying physical effects. That was all it took for Hope to forget how to stand. She felt so unstable, like her legs were gone. A few words whispered and Hope's body stopped functioning correctly. She tried not to think about the way Josie's arm grabbed hers so lightly. She didn't trust her voice to respond, therefore she went with a nod and the two girls left the room together. 

Hope didn't know where they were going, nor did she know why Josie wanted to talk. She didn't know if she should be excited or worried. Something told her it was a bit of both. When someone asks to talk it is rarely ever good. And of course, Hope came up with a million worst-case scenarios in her head. She hated all of them because they all ended in Josie abandoning her. Part of her wondered if Josie had realized Hope was lying when she said she had no soulmate. 

"So um...I have to say something and you're probably going to want to say something back, but I need you to wait until I'm done talking, okay?" 

"Sure thing," Hope answered. Subconsciously, Josie started to play with the talisman, and she could feel the buzzing of the magic against her fingertips. Strong magic. So strong that she was no longer questioning if she should tell Hope the truth, she was actually doing it. It was actually happening. 

"Since the moment we met, we've been friends, and as we got closer I started to feel something else...for you." Josie thought about how to say it. However she was stunned by how easy the words rolled off of her tongue, and when she looked down at her hands, she put the pieces together. The talisman. It really worked. 

"And I didn't know what it was at first, but when time went on those feelings got more obvious to me, they got stronger, and I began to understand what it meant. I couldn't quite put a name to it originally. But today, when we paired up for our assignment..." Josie, using some magic she had siphoned earlier in the day, removed the spell that cloaked the words which were tattooed to her wrist. She brushed a finger over it before holding her hand up for Hope to see. "this was the first thing that you said to me. I knew then that...you're my soulmate, Hope." Josie looked up to see Hope's reaction. The tribrid's eyes were glued to Josie's wrist, her lips were parted slightly. 

Hope waited to see if Josie had anything else to say. She didn't. It was Hope's turn to speak, and all she managed to say was "I...". Not even a full sentence. Her brain hadn't quite grasped what Josie had said yet. She heard her, loud and clear, she just didn't believe it. 

_Josie is my soulmate. This must be a dream._

Hope pinched herself subtly, and she didn't wake up. She was still with Josie, and Josie was still in her party dress. "I-I'm your soulmate?" She stuttered. 

"You are, and I hope that's okay. I understand that you don't feel the same and that you don't even have a soulmate, but you deserved to know." Josie wasn't sure if she should be thanking Lizzie for encouraging her to tell the truth, or if she should be putting a bounty on her head. 

"I...I can't believe it." Hope went up to Josie as if she needed to check that the words she had said were really on the other girl's wrist. When her eyes met Josie's, she noticed exactly how close she had gotten. 

"Are you mad?" Josie bit down on her lower lip, waiting for Hope to turn her back on her. It was bound to happen. Hope was going to hate her and she was never going to want to speak to her again. 

"How could I be mad when you're my soulmate too?" 

_I'm her what now?_

"B-but I thought..." She found herself stopping mid-sentence. Hope had said she didn't have a soulmate. Josie remembered the moment clearly as she felt her heart shatter at the same time. She had lost all hope of them ever happening. And she believed she was left with one-sided feelings. 

"That I didn't have one? I lied." Hope admitted, and strangely it felt really good to get it out in the open. It no longer felt like a weight on her chest. There was no need to hide it anymore. 

_Josie's my soulmate, and now I'm hers too._

"Why?" 

"Because I didn't think you would ever like me back." Hope removed her own cloaking spell, feeling the magic disappear. "On my sixteenth birthday, you snuck into my room and jumped on my bed to wake me. You gave me a big hug right before you said-" 

"Happy birthday, Hopey." She cut in as Hope showed her the writing. It matched, word for word. Her stomach burned with the desire to kiss Hope, stronger than it ever had before. She didn't have to remind herself to shout at Lizzie for making her ruin her friendship. No. She had to thank her. She could imagine all the snarky comments Lizzie was bound to make. 

A comfortable silence filled the air, as neither of them knew what came next. How did they move forward? What did they have to say? 

"What does this mean for us?" Josie asked. 

"Well," Hope put her hand against Josie's cheek. She felt the gemini twin lean into it. "I would very much like it if I could kiss you." 

"I would very much like that." Hope moved forward, closing the small distance between them. She had her eyes closed, her forehead against Josie's, giving the girl a chance to back out if she wanted. She didn't. Instead, Josie was the one to connect their lips for the very first time. All of her dreams of this moment couldn't compare. Actually having Hope's soft lips against her own was the greatest feeling. Her hands found their way to Hope's back, and she pulled her impossibly closer. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss. 

Hope loved how it felt to have Josie's body pressed against her. She loved how Josie leaned into it. She loved how Josie's lips felt. It was all she could have wanted and more. It felt right, like it always meant to be that way. Her and Josie. Their souls were literally connected, and if this was what that meant, they wouldn't complain. Hope didn't want to break away, but she knew they had to get back to the party. And she gazed at Josie... 

So, this was what her mother meant when she said to have an epic love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it concludes! Let me all know what you thought. I've really enjoyed writing this, and entering the Hosie sid of AO3. It amazes me how fast you all found this fic. I plan to release more Hosie short stories soon. Be sure to check them out :)

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? If you've read this, please leave comments and kudos. Let me know if you want to see more in the future, and please feel free to leave any constructive criticism you may have :))


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